Amelia Martinez

Residencia Socioeducativa
Work Area
'La Villa', en Villena (Alicante)
Role
Diagrama Staff
Location
Murcia
About
Amelia Beltrán Martínez, a psychologist at the Socio-Educational Residence La Villa since 1998, reflects on her 27-year career in the field. She values the perspective gained from working with individuals facing challenging life stories and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing what truly matters in life.
Quotes
  • "One of the best things that working here has brought me is to value my life, to value my quality of life."
  • "If you really want your action to provoke a future change, you cannot intervene exclusively by punishing. You have to intervene in all the factors that could have influenced that person currently functions as they do, but at all levels."
  • "The idea is that they leave here thinking that they can opt for another life."
  • Diagrama Focus

    Amelia Martinez shares her perspective on the Diagrama model’s emphasis on emotional and psychological well-being as a crucial component of youth rehabilitation. She highlights how the model integrates therapeutic support alongside education and skill-building, ensuring that young people develop resilience and emotional intelligence. Amelia underscores the importance of low staff turnover and strong, trusting relationships between staff and young people, which contribute to an environment where young people feel supported and empowered to change. She emphasizes that true rehabilitation is achieved not through punishment, but through intervention at all levels—social, emotional, and educational—allowing young people to believe in their ability to choose a better future.

    Key points
  • Amelia shares her deep insights from working in Diagrama for over 27 years, emphasizing the impact of long-term commitment on youth rehabilitation.
  • She discusses how her experiences have shaped her personal and professional growth, helping her understand the deeper factors affecting young people’s lives.
  • Amelia highlights the importance of valuing personal life and well-being, a perspective that working in youth rehabilitation has reinforced.
  • She also reflects on global disparities in youth justice, drawing comparisons between the challenges faced by young people in Spain and Australia.